Football guard



Jan. 16, R JONES FOOTBALL GUARD Filed June 2'7, 1931 I721} GL/ZO F 7554 9/22 JOIZ66.

Patented Jan. 16, 1934 TTES UNIT

PATENT OFFICE.

4 Claims.

The invention relates to an improved football guard especially adapted and arranged for use in conjunction with a football pant, the primary object of the invention being the provision of a simple and eificient guard of the character indicated adapted to furnish additional protection to a football player or the like, the present invention constituting an improvement over that disclosed in my pending application, filed September 20, 1929, Serial No. 394,005.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved guard. of the character indicated having special provisions which permit of the utmost freedom of movement of the wearer and, at the same time, protect the guard against being grasped by an opponent or in any way misplaced from operative position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved guard of the character indicated especially adapted and arranged for protection of the pelvic bone and region of the human anatomy.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a guard of the character indicated capable of economical construction and highly efficient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a football pant equipped with guard members embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 3 an enlarged partial section taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 an enlarged partial section taken substantially on line 4--4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 a front view of one of two pelvic guard members employed in the construction.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing comprises afootball pant body 10 which may be of any suitable or desired construction and arrangement, equipped with a usual belt 11 and the usual upstanding waist guard member 12, as shown. A suitable lacing is provided at the front of the body and waist guard, as shown. The pant body and waist guard member may be of any usual or desired construction for the purpose and constitute no part of my present invention except insofar as j the same co-operate with the parts to be presently described.

Associated with the said pant body and waist guard member are two pelvic guard members identical in construction so that the description of one will suifice for both. Each of said pelvic guard members consists of a relatively stiff transversely curved plate 14 of fiber board, metal or other suitable light and stiff material to serve as a reinforcement. Each plate 14 is also provided with a plurality of transverse corrugations or stiffening ribs 15, as shown, and the edges thereof are enclosed by a binding 16 of felt secured thereto by a line of "stitching, as best indicated in Fig. 5. Each guard 14 is provided with lines of eyelets 17 and 18, one line 1'7 being located just below and parallel to the top edge thereof and the other line of eyelets 18 somewhat below and substantially parallel to said first line of eyelets.

Each of the pelvic guard members 14 is loosely arranged within a suitable pocket 19 formed upon the outer pelvic regions of the pant body and secured thereto by suitable stitching, as shown. Each pocket 19 is open at the top and provided at the top of its outer wall with a line of eyelets 20 adapted and arranged to register and co-operate with a corresponding line of eyelets 21 in the waist guard member 12 and whereby the top of each pocket may be closed by a suitable lacing 22, as indicated.

Another set of eyelets 23 is provided in the outer wall of each pocket 19 and adapted and arranged to register and co-operate with the eyelets l7 and 18 in the corresponding pelvic guard 14 and whereby said guard may be adjustably secured to the outer wall of the pocket in position to guard and protect the pelvic region of the wearer.

The arrangement is such that the pelvic guard members will be flexibly secured at their upper edges, depending therefrom in position to cover and protect the pelvic bone and region of the anatomy of the wearer. As will be noted, the pockets 19 are considerably larger than the guards 14 thereby leaving the lower edges of said guards free for movement in the pockets so that each guard member will be free to swing rearwardly with the pant body during bending, stooping and other supple body movements of the wearer. guards 14 against grasping by an opponent and also tend to prevent any displacement of said guards during use, without interference with the free rearward swinging of the lower edges of said guards. The hard and stiff character of the guard member thus provided will furnish adequate and valuable protection to the underlying parts of the anatomy of the wearer. The felt binding around the edges of the guard member 14 protect the wearer from any injury from said edges.

The specific form and arrangement of parts is a simple and effective one for the purpose.

It is also to be noted that, owing to the fact that the pelvic guard member is considerably The pockets 19 serve to protect the smaller than the pocket 19 laterally, the said pelvic guard member may be also laterally adjusted in the pocket for convenience in adjusting to the peculiar physical requirements of individuals.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying the invention into effect, this is capable of variation: and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details disclosedbut desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as fall within thescope of the ap pended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a pant body, having a waist guard member extending upwardly from the waist portion of said body and. surrounding the upper waist portion of the wearers body, of a pocket formed on the outer pelvic portion thereof, said pocket being open at the top and provided with a line of lacing. eyelets at the top of its outer walland also at a line below the top thereof; a pelvic guard member arranged loosely within said pocket and having a line of eyelets at its upper edgev to register with the lines of eyelets in the outer wall of said pocket; and la'cings for said sets; of eyelets.

2. The combination with a pant body, having a waist guard member extending upwardly from the waist portion of said body and surrounding the upper waist portion of thev wearers body, of

a pocket formed on the outer pelvic portion thereof, said pocket being open at the top and provided with a line of lacing eyelets at the top ofits outer wall and also at a line below the top thereof; a pelvic guard member arranged loosely within sail pocket and having one line of eyelets at its upper edge and another line located below said first line, to register with the lines of eyelets of the outer wall of said pocket, and lacings for said sets of eyelets.

3. The combination with a pant body, of a pocket formed on the outer portion thereof, said pocket-being open at the top and provided with a line of lacing eyelets at the top of its outer wall and also at a line below the top thereof; a guard member arranged loosely within said packet and having a line of eyelets at its upper edge to register with the lines of eyelets. in the outer wall of said pocket; and lacings for said eyelets.

4. The combination with a pant body, of a pocket formed on' the outer portion thereof, said pocket being open at the top and provided with a line or" lacing eyelets at the top of its outer wall and also at a line below the top thereof;- a guard member arranged loosely within said pocket and having one line of eyelets at its upper edge and another line located: below said first line to register with the lines of eyelets of the outer wall of said pocket; and lacings for said sets of eyelets.

RALPH R. JONES. 

